A novel way of raising money for the restoration of the roof of Newport Pagnell Parish Church, which has been seriously damaged by the ravages of the death watch beetle, was devised by Mrs. George Tayler and her sister, Miss Payne, and the success which attended this personal effort exceeded all expectations. These two ladies, staunch supporters of the Church, conceived the idea of a gift sale of surplus furniture and the like. They appealed to the townspeople for gifts, and the response was on an extremely generous scale, and at the sale which was held in St. Paul's School on Wednesday evening no less than 140 lots were brought under the hammer by Mr P.C. Gambell, F.A.I., who kindly gave his services as autioneer, and was himself a purchaser, paying as much as £5 for half-a-dozen wine glasses. The way this unusual figure was arrived at arose from an offer to the auctioneer by mr. J.E. Clare, the people's warden, to give £5 for one lot of glasses if Mr Gambell would give a like sum for a second and similar lot. Mr Gambell at once accepted the offer.

The catalogue was a miscellaneous one, a huge sideboard, antique and other chairs, bedsteads, bedding, perambulators, babies' push chairs, fire implements, and even wireless sets and golfer's kit being included. There was also a choice collection of cut glass, as well as dinner and tea sets, electroplated goods, and a variety of ornaments. A small rush-bottom antique chair,after spirited bidding, sold for £5, and other articles made equally satisfactory prices.

The sale had its humurous side, Mr Gambell imposed his own special conditions. He claimed the right to bid himself, and nothing in the nature of a dispute from the person regarded as a purchaser could be entertained. Thus it came about that several of Mr Gambell's friends were involved in unexpected expenditure. For instance one of them suddenly found himself the possessor of a perambulator which had seen plenty of wear. Being a batchelor he had no use for the vehicle, and he lodged a mild protest, but it was unavailing.

Little incidents like this removed the serious side of the sale, and not only provided plenty of fun but put the large company in the best of good spirits, and had the effect of producing a brisk trade which - all important - brought in, with a few donations received by Mrs Tayler and Miss Payne, from personal friends and former residents in Newport Pagnell, the very handsome sum of £79/3/- for the Church Roof Renovation Fund.

Before commencing the sale, Mr Gambell made appropriate refernce to the great kindness of Mrs Tayler and Miss Payne in organising the event, and at the close a vote of thanks to those two ladies, to Mr Gambell for his valued services as auctioneer, to Mr W.E.C. Hedge, who officiated as clerk, and to the many dodrs of gifts, was very warmly accorded on the motion of Mr J.E. Clare.